The present invention relates to textile machines, and more particularly to a mounting means for a suction tube on a fly frame, roving frame, ring spinning machine or like textile machine for collecting broken ends of yarn at the outlet rollers of the machine, wherein the suction tube has a suction end disposed at the outlet rollers and an opposite end connected through a flexible sealing sleeve to a collection chamber, with the sleeve being flexible to permit the suction tube to pivot therein between an operative position in which the suction end is proximal the outlet rollers and an inoperative position in which the suction end is spaced from the outlet rollers.
Conventionally, a suction tube is generally positioned at each outlet roller of a drafting or winding system of a textile machine to draw in or collect the broken yarn ends by means of suction. The suction tube is usually mounted by a flexible sleeve to the collection chamber to permit pivoting of the tube in the flexible sleeve so that the suction end of the tube can be moved a short distance away from the vicinity of the outlet rollers of the drafting system to an inoperative position to allow access to repair the thread break or for machine maintenance, the suction tube can be retained in the operative and inoperative positions by detents arranged on the collection chamber as disclosed in German Published Patent Application No. DE-AS 1 119 165 or by detents arranged on the drafting system of the machine as disclosed in German Published Patent Application No. DE-OS 26 05 601.
Problems arise in that there are generally variations in the arrangement of the collection chamber of the textile machine and these variations adversely affect the individual suction tubes in that the suction ends of the individual tubes are spaced at varying distances from the outlet rollers of the machine independently of whether the detent for retaining the suction tube in the operative and inoperative positions is located on the collection chamber or on the machine. The suction force acting on the yarn ends by the individual suction tubes therefore varies due to the variation in distances and must be compensated by an increased suction force throughout the entire system in order to insure a minimum suction force at the ends of those tubes having suction ends located at a greater distance from the outlet rollers.
As will be apparent from the discussion to follow, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a mounting arrangement for the suction tube which permits the tube to pivot on an axis that is fixed in relation to the machine at a spacing from the collection chamber and at a uniform spacing from the outlet rollers. Therefore, the suction ends of the tubes can all be located proximal the outlet rollers uniformly when the suction tubes are in operative positions independent of variations in the spacing between the collection chamber and the outlet rollers. The suction tubes are connected to the collection chamber by flexible sealing sleeves that permit the tubes to pivot away from the operative positions and into inoperative positions in which the suction ends are moved away from the outlet roller to allow access to repair yarn breaks or for machine maintenance.